Teardrops and Roses
by The Dark Knight's Revenge
Summary: Cassie had to buy them time...She was the only thing between the destruction of humanity and him.


Cassie flew over the buildings, circling around her foe.

Blackdown. Possibly one of the most deadly that the team had encountered, Blackdown had beamed in from the planet X-613, located light years away from Earth.

Cassie circled around again, her stormy blue eyes watching for danger. The rest of the team were working to frantically disable the bomb that Blackdown had dropped.

The one that would take out the entire city.

Robin was there, so was Kid Flash and Superboy, and all three were working their hardest to crack the code that encrypted it. She had offered to try and take down Blackdown...but that was proving easier said than done.

At least he wasn't protecting the bomb, Currently he was underwater in the bay. He wouldn't be there for long, but all she needed was a few precious minutes until the Justice League arrived.

She completed another circle above the bay.

Nothing.

Blackdown was a difficult adversary. His powers were quite unknown. All they knew so far was that he could create forcefields of sound and energy. And that he was dangerous.

Just a few more minutes...

WHAM

Before Cassie knew what was happening, she was laying at the bottom of what seemed like a large bubble.

Oh no.

He had got her.

She hadn't been paying enough attention, and had flown right into his trap. Cassie looked up and saw Blackdown hovering just outside the bubble, his skin looking like a large pile of rock, encrusted with stars.

He opened his fiery eyes, and smirked maliciously at her.

She screamed.

Robin's head jerked up suddenly as he heard Cassie's piercing scream. High above them, in what looked like a large, green bubble, he could see Blackdown hovering just outside, and Cassie standing in the center.

"No" He whispered.

Superboy and Flash looked up.

"We have to work harder!" Superboy yelled.

Robin's eyes stayed glued to Cassie's still form.

"Be safe Cass" He thought, then reluctantly turned his eyes back to his work.

Cassie watched her captor warily, feeling like the hunted deer. She could feel the power surging through the orb, knowing full well that it could kill her, One glance into Blackdown's eyes, and she knew that was what he was going to do.

He was going to kill her.

Right in front of her friends.

Tentacles of electric material wove their way up her legs and wrapped around her wrists, yanking her to her knees painfully. She knew what would happen next the second before it happened.

Electricity surged out of the tentacles, hitting her body, shocking the air out of her lungs. She resisted the urge to cry out as the power intensified, and she felt like her body was on fire.

She wrapped her hands around her head in an effort to block out the pain.

No use, It continued on and on, finally ending what felt like years later. She gasped in large amounts of air as her body trembled uncontrollably.

"That was only just a taste of what will happen to you, Wondergirl"

His voice was like the rock he was made of, deep and gravelly, not a hint of kindness.

For a second, it was silent, then the screaming started.

It was as if a hundred speakers were placed all around her, playing a never ending scream. It assaulted her ears, and she covered them. It drew on and on, and she felt warm liquid dripping through her fingers.

She felt like she was going to go crazy. The blood dripped down onto the floor of the bubble.

She heard a different sound cutting through louder than the sound ricocheting around the orb. It too was a scream...

Her own.

Robin looked up to the bubble as often as he could, worry creasing his dark features.

His eyes widened as he saw lighting flashing around the bubble, and saw Cassie brought to her knees, screaming in agony.

He couldn't hear Blackdown's response, but knew it wasn't good.

Then, he saw Cassie cover her ears, and could hear her screaming again. the worst sound he had ever heard.

Robin's breath shorted out.

Blackdown was going to kill her.

Blackdown was going to kill the Wondergirl.

The sounds stopped, and Cassie opened her eyes.

She saw her bloodstained hands. She saw the electric current around her wrists. Her hands balled into fists.

No. He would not kill her.

She stood, breaking the tendril's hold on her.

She glared at Blackdown.

Then she leapt into the air, going so fast, she shattered the bubble.

Her hair came free of its headband, and as she stopped, it whirled around her face.

Blackdown smirked again, and pulled a large gun out of his black robes.

He fired it, aiming for Cassie's chest and she dodged, flying away.

He kept up the fire, following her. The clock was ticking.

The bomb only had 30 seconds to explosion.

29...

28...

Frantically, Robin keyed in codes.

27...

Superboy tried to hack the network.

26...

25...

24...

23...

Kid Flash accessed the security lock.

22...

21...

Robin searched passwords.

20...

19...

18..

Kid Flash tried password after password, fingers flashing faster than the speed of light.

17...

16...

15...

14...

Cassie dodged another shower of bullets.

13...

12...

11...

10...

9...

The Justice League was almost there.

8...

Flash found a password, keyed it in.

7...

It worked.

6...

Robin booted up the mainline computer.

5...

Superboy keyed the command.

4...

3...

2...

1...

Then, several things happened at once.

Robin typed in last last command and hit send, halting the bomb's clock.

The Justice league came speeding in from over the top of one of the tall buildings.

Cassie fell out of the sky.

Robin watched, eyes wide.

He leapt off the ground and flew to where Cassie's body had hit the water with a splash.

He dove, and saw her gold hair shimmering as it pooled around her face.

Robin grabbed her and shot straight up out of the water, thanking all the gods for his new power of flight.

He flew to the bank and gently set her down, brushing her soaking wet hair away from her face with his hand.

He could see the two wounds that adorned her chest.

He could hear the ragged sound her breath made.

Robin had to try and save her, she was the one who kept them together. Selfless, perfect Wondergirl.

Grabbing her bridal style once again, he lifted off the ground at a speed that the flash would have been proud of towards the enarest hospital.

After all she had done, he had to try.

Little did Robin know...This would hardly be the last time that Wondergirl's life would be in danger in the cataclysmic week that was to follow.


End file.
